


how to handle a christmas gift from your boss

by bravest



Category: Fables, Fables - Willingham, The Wolf Among Us
Genre: F/M, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-27
Updated: 2014-06-27
Packaged: 2018-02-06 09:35:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1853233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bravest/pseuds/bravest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snow gives Bigby a tie for Christmas. Set before The Wolf Among Us/Fables.</p>
            </blockquote>





	how to handle a christmas gift from your boss

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this](http://drecklyn.tumblr.com/post/89726050368/i-have-this-head-cannon-that-snow-gave-bigby-his) post. Credit goes to the op :')

When Snow told him she’d gotten him something, Bigby wasn’t sure what to expect. Honestly, his first thought was  _more paperwork_ , as there was always more, no matter how much he got done in one day — and although it was nearing Christmas, the work load was far from slowing down.

But then she held out a box for him, and Bigby opened it to find a tie. It was simple, which he liked, and dark, which he also liked.

"I thought it might help, if you looked a little…" She trailed off, waving her hand. He knew what she meant, and he took no offence. He’d only been sheriff for a few years, and he had to keep making a good impression if he wanted to be respected, to be taken seriously.

"Put together?" he said, arching an eyebrow.

"Sure, if you want to call it that," she said, her lips quirking up briefly in a smile.

"Thank you, Snow. I’ll put it on later," Bigby said, putting the box down on his desk. Although his thanks were genuine, truth was, he wasn’t too sure how to tie it properly. He didn’t want Snow to know this, though, and could figure it out by himself later.

Snow sighed, rubbing at her temple.

"You don’t know how to tie it, do you."

"I never said — " Bigby objected immediately, but Snow waved him quiet again.

"I’ll show you."

Snow reached for the box and tugged the tie from it, letting it run through her fingers. Bigby watched it slide against her palms, swallowed, and then decided he was better off staring at the wall.

"Bigby?"

"Yeah?"

"You might need to come over here. I can’t help you from across the desk," Snow said, and Bigby did his best to ignore the way her smell was already filling his nose.

"Sure, alright," he said in a near mumble. He stepped around his desk, placing himself in front of Snow. He felt too docile, almost, even though the word was a strange one to associate himself with. But that’s how Snow made him feel, sometimes, and when she reached for his collar, tying up the last button, he stared right over her shoulder at the wall so he could focus on something  _else_. She was standing so close all other senses were drowned by her, her smell and her presence and her face, right there.

"You loop it around — like this," she said, lifting the collar up so she could slide the tie around the back of Bigby’s neck. Bigby, in the mean time, felt his pulse jump. She was speaking softly, using a tone he rarely heard but that he loved. It was like she actually cared about him, and at times like these he could pretend, just a little, that she did.

"And then — cross it, pass it," she kept going, her fingers working quickly at his neck. The buttoned up shirt was tight at his throat, and Bigby lifted his chin so she’d have more room, not arguing with her once. His hand was gripping the desk behind him hard enough that his nails were leaving marks into the underside of the wood. There wasn’t enough air in this goddamn office, Bigby thought, his eyes falling (accidentally) on her lips, his breathing coming out in a harsh sigh.

"Tell me if I’m being a bother," Snow said with raised eyebrows, her hands stilled.

"You’re almost done, aren’t you?"

Snow hummed, almost smiling again as she adjusted the final knot. She tugged the tie so it lined up with the collar, pulling that down, then sliding her hands to his shoulders and giving him a pat.

"There you are. All professional-like," she said, giving him an actual smile this time.

"Feels tight," was all Bigby could say. It felt like an actual collar around his neck, but the tightness of it all, the way breathing felt a little laboured, might have had nothing to do with the tie at all. Her hands were still on his shoulders, small but warm, and for a moment they simply looked at each other.

Bigby almost said something. Her eyes were so blue, and her hair was doing that curling thing, and he could smell her shampoo, soap and perfume, and the tiniest amount of tension underneath.

Then Snow dropped her hands from his shoulders, and it vanished.

"Yes, well, I would appreciate it if you made an effort and wore a tie on the job, Bigby," Snow said, as her face returned to it’s usual distant professionalism.

That one Bigby liked a lot less.

He tugged on the knot of the tie, loosening it a little.

"How about this?" He asked, even though, after this, he was sure to keep the tie on just because it was something Snow had given him.

Snow pursed her lips, then shook her head with a sigh.

"I guess it will have to do. I should get going, I have another handful of files to get through," she said, and Bigby nodded. He reached a hand to scratch the side of his face, on the cusp of saying something he knew he shouldn’t.

"Yeah. Thanks, Snow. And Merry Christmas," he said instead, as she turned to leave his office. She stopped at the door, her hand resting on the doorframe. Her nails clacked there as she drummed her fingers.

"You too, Bigby," she said, glancing over her shoulder. The wave of loneliness he felt coming off of her for a brief moment was so strong he nearly lunged for her to hold her — but this is when the hand digging into the desk came in, and held him back.

He didn’t even have to smell it, really, it was in her eyes — but this loneliness was hers until she was ready to share it with someone.

"Yeah," he said, and then she turned and left, and Bigby’s fingers played with the tie throughout the rest of the day.


End file.
